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rimes 
Against 

Mexico 



BY 



D. R. HOLDEN 




CO-OPERATIVE PRESS 
15 SfMOice Street New York Qty 



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Crimes Against Mexico 



BY 



D. R. HOLDEN 



PRICE 25 CENTS 



Mexico from the Landing of Cortez to the present time, 

by a man who has lived in that country 

for twenty-five years 






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Copyright by 

D. R. HOLD EN 

1917 



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V6 



APR 16 1317 
©CI.A461^:iO 



PREFACE 

HTHE author has learned from lecturing and from questions 
asked after lectures how much the people of this country 
have been misinformed, by the Press, on the real condi- 
tions in Mexico, and realizing that the expense and incon- 
venience of obtaining and reading the larger volumes on the 
subject prevents many from doing so, has written this small 
booklet, condensing the subject, and referring the reader to 
the larger authentic histories. 

In telling the truth about Mexico, the writer feels he Is at 
least partly paying a debt of gratitude to the people of Mexico 
for their unvarying hospitality to him during his many years' 
sojourn among them. 

H. 



i 



I 

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CONTENTS 



GEOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF MEXICO 

The Spanish Conquest of Mexico 7 

300 Years of Spanish-Roman Misrule 8 

The Revolution of 1810-1831 9 

Mexico's First Emperor 9 

Mexico a Republic 10 

CAUSE OF THE TEXAS WAR, 1836 

The United States War with Mexico, 1846-7-8 11 

The Clerical Party Plotting for a Monarchy 13 

Mexico's Constitution of 1857 14 

The French Intervention, 1863-7 15 

Re-establishment of Their Republic 16 

The Diaz Revolution, 1875-6 18 

The Diaz Regime, 1876 to 1910 19 

The Revolution, 1910-1914 . 23 

Mexico To-day 26 



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Crimes Against Mexico 



GEOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF MEXICO 

]W[EXICO is bounded by California, Arizona, New 
^-^^ Mexico, Texas, Atlantic Ocean, British Honduras, 
Guatemala, and Pacific Ocean. There are twenty- 
seven states, and three territories, the territories being Tepee, 
Lower Cahfornia and Quintano-Roo. 

Extreme length of Mexico about 2,016 miles. Greatest 
width 720 miles. Narrowest place about 75 miles. 

Mexico has about 4,000 miles of sea coast. The border 
line between the United States and Mexico is about 1 ,468 
miles. About 790 miles of this border is marked by the 
Rio Grande (Big River). The balance is mostly marked 
by iron monuments. 

A large portion of northern Mexico is mountains, or nearly 
Barren Mesa Land (Table Land), while the isthmus and 
low lands are largely tropical. 

Mexico has practically nine seaports, namely Tampico, 
Vera Cruz, Goatzacoalcos, Progreso, Sahna Cruz, Man- 
zanillo, Acapulco, Mazatlan, Guaymas. 

Population about 1 6,000,000. Mexico City is the na- 
tional capital, and is in the Department Federal. Popula- 
tion of City of Mexico about 470,000. Altitude 7,000 feet. 
Its ancient name was Anhauc. 

There are three cities of 1 00,000. Seven cities of 50,000. 
Twenty-five cities of 25,000. 

Mexico is a republic similar to the United States of 
America, but immeasurably more democratic under the 
present constitutional government. 



In the sixteenth century we see the white man driving the 
American Indian from their lands or kilhng them off to 
make room for Christian civiUzation. As the Indian would 
not be enslaved, our illustrious forefathers went to Africa 
and shanghaied the Negro into American slavery. 

When Cortez landed in Mexico (1520) he found the 
native people, namely the Mayas, Zapotec, Mistecs, Toltecs, 
Aztecs to be a civil, cultured, industrious, submissive and 
hospitable people, so the ruling class of Spain employed their 
priest and soldier to rob these native people of their lands 
and property and enslave them. As slaves (the working 
class) then as now paid all costs. The Spanish ruling 
class supplied plenty of priests, friars and bishops to work 
on the native minds, and soldiers to work on their bodies. 
Thus the ruling Spaniard soon planted the cross, instituted 
the Roman church and its inquisitions, hung the native princes, 
enforced strict censorship, destroyed the native schools, 
records, civilization and democracy, burned the natives' 
bodies to make them expose their treasures, coerced the 
goodly looking madams to their clerical harems, exempted 
clerical and military officers from prosecution, enslaved the 
native people. The church appointed itself God's agent 
in Mexico. Thus for three hundred years aristocracy and 
clergy enjoyed the Christian blessings of God, namely cheap 
labor and military preparedness. 



THREE HUNDRED YEARS OF SPANISH- 
ROMAN RULE 

For three hundred years New Spain (Mexico) was 
ruled by five governors, two audiences, and sixty-two Vice- 
Roys, all hand-picked by Rome and appointed by the crown 
of Spain. An army of 30,000 men and 15,000 officers 
was maintained. When a native was suspected of having 
democratic ideas the Church Inquisition attended to him. 
Any open revolt was attended to promptly by the army. 



Then, as in every age and clime, the Tree of Liberty 
could not grow on a soil trod by the iron heel of a soldier. 

By 1810 the Church owned sixty per cent, of the land, 
and exacted $50,000,000 annually from the workers. 
Mexico had then about six million people. 

Scattered over the country at convenient points were large 
landed estates given to Spanish gentlemen by the King of 
Spain. On these estates slaves were worked with good 
profit to the master. These gentlemen paid no tax, answered 
to no one for their crimes, had the soldier at their command, 
and were the aristocracy of New Spain. 

TTiis period from 1520 to 1821 has at least shown the 
world what to expect when church, soldier and aristocracy 
are not controlled by the useful people. 



THE REVOLUTION OF 1810 

In 1810 a humane native priest headed a people's revo- 
lution against Spanish-Roman misrule. This Priest (Hedalgo 
by name) was captured and shot. His head was cut off 
and spiked up in view where it hung for ten years to warn 
the natives of what God's chosen church would do to the 
unfaithful. 

The Revolution went on for eleven years. 

The Liberal Party of Spain sickened of the cruelty of 
the clericals of New Spain, put forth a mighty united effort 
and gained control in Spain and enacted several laws, cur- 
tailing the powers of the clericals and military of New Spain. 

The Clerical Party of New Spain, to evade restriction, 
threw their strength and army against Spain, and with the 
revolutionists, thus ending the power of Spain in Mexico in 
1 82 1 , and yet keeping control of the Mexican people. 

Mexico's First Emperor 

At the ending of Spanish power the Clerical Party made 
Mexico an empire, and placed the Imperial Crown on 
Itribeda, a Clerical Picked Military Man, who had helped 
to fool the people in the War with Spain. 



The people by this time were fully aware of their be- 
trayal, and elected Revolutionists to the Legislature, ban- 
ished Itrubida, under penalty of death. He returned and 
was shot by local authorities. 

The Liberal Party forced Congress to declare Mexico a 
Federal Republic, and established the Federal System 
October 4, 1 824. 



MEXICO A REPUBLIC 

Gaudalupe Victoria was elected First President of the 
Republic. From this period up to 1836, while the Church 
had made and unmade Presidents, and continued to exploit 
the people. 

Yet the Liberal Party was constantly growing stronger, 
and the staple government (Clerical Party) was growing 
fearful that it would lose its control of the government. 

For years the Church's scheme has been to place a Rome- 
picked Blue-Blood Monarch over Mexico. 

But the Liberal Party stood in the way, therefore the 
Church needed a war with a foreign country to kill off the 
Liberals and reduce the people to poverty. 



CAUSE OF TEXAS WAR OF 1 836 

The Mexican territory now known as Texas had been 
settled largely by Protestants from the United States under 
the Colonization Charter obtained from Mexico by Mr. 
Austin. 

The Clerical Party of Mexico wanted to rid Mexico 
of these Protestants and kill olf their own Liberal Element. 

The Southern Slaveholder of the United States, who then 
controlled Congress and the President of the United States 
of America, wanted Texas territory to give them more Con- 
gressional representatives and more slave territory. 

So the Clerical Party of Mexico put General Santa Ana 
and Lucas Alaman on to the job of getting up a war with 
the Colonists of Texas. The Slaveholders of the United 

10 



Stales of America put President Andrew Jackson and Sam 
Houston on to the job in this country. The American 
Press, preachers, poHticians and military men all did their 
stunt at propagating war. The Southern Preacher declared 
Slavery a divine institution. 

The priest of Mexico preached that getting rid of Pro- 
testant Texas would be a holy deed, but the people of 
Texas could see nothing to war about, so General Santa 
Ana sent armed troops into Texas to abuse the people until 
they would resent it. Finally the Texas Colonists resisted 
being abused. The kept press of both countries did the 
rest. These papers ran war headings, war pictures, war 
news, until finally the press fooled the people into real war. 

Under instructions from Washington Sam Houston mar- 
shalled the Americans of Texas. Under Clerical Directions 
General Santa Ana marched the Mexicans over waterless 
deserts, without food or shelter, until they were reduced 
"properly," giving up place after place to American soldiers 
without an attempt at resistance. He then allowed Texas to 
declare herself an independent country. 

(Gutierrez and Pinchon, History of Mexico, pages 1 00 
to 120. Yoakum's History of Texas, Vol. 2, page 13. 
Rives, The United States and Mexico, 1 821 to 1 848.) 



THE UNITED STATES WAR WITH MEXICO, 

1 846-7-8 

The Mexican and United States war of 1846-7-8 was 
simply a renewal of the Texas War. 

The governing party of the United States, well knowing 
by this time that the Clerical Party of Mexico would act 
with them to devastate Mexico if the United States Army 
would assist in killing off the fast growing element of democ- 
racy which was getting beyond the control of the Clerical 
Party of Mexico, so the same interests employed the same 
agencies — ^press, priest and soldier, as in the causeless War 
of 1836, except that James K. Polk played the part with 

11 



Andrew Jackson. General Taylor invaded Mexico with 
3,500 armed troops before any declaration of war was made. 
Later General Kearney seized Santa Fe, then Mexican ter- 
ritory. 

The United States Navy seized Monterey, California 
(then Mexican territory). Mexican and American presses 
under strict censorship told the people what the ruling class 
wanted them to believe (the same as to-day), so the useful 
people of both countries were fooled and embittered against 
each other without cause, the same as to-day. 

The Mexican (Church controlled) Press shouted to 
their people that Mexican blood had been shed on Mexican 
soil. The American (capitalist controlled) Press shouted 
that American blood has been shed on American soil — the 
same as to-day. 

The people rallied to arms — the same as to-day. 

General Santa Ana marched his Mexican soldiers over 
mountains and deserts without sufficient food, clothing or 
rest until they were exhausted, as in the Texas War, and 
then pitted them against fresh United States troops and 
ordered retreats when victory was possible. He abandoned 
place after place without resistance. The United States 
Navy blockaded Mexican ports. 

In reality the only resistance of any note was from the 
citizens outside of the Mexican army. The American Navy, 
under command of General W. S. Scott, shelled the defense- 
less city of Vera Cruz, raining shot and shells for twenty- 
four hours on home and hospitals alike. The foreign min- 
isters then in Mexico asked for a truce long enough to remove 
women and children. This the American Navy refused, 
and continued to shell the town until 2,500 non-combatants 
lay dead and wounded amid the ruins. In fact, the unneces- 
sary cruelty and torture of Mexican people in that causeless 
war of conquest and seizure was as cowardly and as brutal 
as modern civilization records.. 

This war 'cost the United States $165,000,000 and the 
lives of 25,000 Americans, and perhaps twice that number 
of Mexican people. Add to this the suffering and poverty 

12 



caused by this war, and you have the sum total. The fifteen 
milHon dollars the United Stales paid them for the territory 
we took from them in I 848 was but to cover a bare-faced 
steal (Bancroft). 

That the United States was wrong in this war all nations 
know (Bancroft). 

That this war was caused and executed by the Slave- 
holder of the South and the Clerical Party of Mexico for 
the purpose of killing off the Liberal Element of Mexico and 
transferring valuable territory to the United States, no well- 
informed American will deny. 

Should my account of this war be too strong for the 
delicate system of any patriotic flag worshiper, I would advise 
siich Americans to read Gutierrez and Pinchon, History of 
Mexico, pages 139 to 166, and foot-notes, which the reader 
will find fortified by a cloud of authorities. 



THE CLERICAL PARTY PLOTTING FOR A 
MONARCHY 

As I have previously said, the Church was secretly schem- 
ing to establish a hand-picked monarchy in Mexico. 

The war of 1 848 over, the country demoralized and 
exhausted, as desired by the Clerical Party. 

Their two papers. La Partria and El Univesal, were 
advising the people of the benefits to be gained by a monarchal 
government (staple government). 

All liberal papers were surpressed, all true news censored, 
all schools under clerical control, and the military (then as 
now) suppressing everything democratic. 

Thus the working people were unaware (then as now) 
of the plot of their ruling class. However, the "El Clamor 
Publico," a Spanish Liberal Paper, much read in Mexico, 
gave away the whole scheme. 

With acquired power. Clerical and Military grew more 
tyranical. Thousands were put to death for expressing 
liberal sentiments. Santa Ana was reaping a harvest selling 

13 



natives to Cuban Planters. The more the Clerical and Mili- 
tary persecuted the people, the plainer grew the rumbling 
of coming revolution. 

Santa Ana was sent to quell the Revolutionists. Homes, 
yea towns, where Liberalists lived, were burned. Liberal 
suspects were shot on sight. 

Yet amid these persecutions a platform outlining the policy 
of the Liberal Party was written, circulated, and endorsed 
by the Liberal Party, from 1854 to 1857. The Church 
tried with desperation to maintain her political power, yet 
Congress grew more and more liberal, the Constitution of 
1 85 7 was being formulated. 



THE CONSTITUTION OF 1857 

Finally, in February, 1 85 7, the Liberal Party of Mexico 
proclaimed the world's first real democratic written National 
Constitution. 

The principles of this Constitution are in keeping with the 
democratic traditions of preconquest days, and had been the 
dream of those downtrodden people for 350 years. 

The heroic effort necessary to its adoption, in defiance of 
the mandates of the Pope, and in opposition to the ruling 
class of the world and their unassisted heroic struggle for 
the past sixty years, to maintain the principles of that Con- 
stitution, puts the people of Mexico well in the advance guard 
of real civilization of the world. 

A few abstracts of their Constitution: 

Article 1 . All laws must respect the rights of Man. 

Article 2. All are born free. The Slave that steps into 
Mexican territory is by that act alone free. 

Article 27. No religious institution shall acquire or man- 
age any real estate, except the building used 
immediately and directly for services. The 
law will not recognize any mortgage held by 
religious institutions. No payment for religious 

14 



services shall be made in the form of real 
estate. 

Article 7. The Press shall be free; no censorship shall 
establish. 

Article 1 0. Every man shall have the right to carry arms. 

Article 15. No treaty shall be made affecting the rights 
of man. ^Congress cannot make any laws for- 
bidding "th^ establishing of any religion. 



THE FRENCH INTERVENTION. 1861-7 

In June, 1 86 1 , Juarez was elected President of Mexico 
by the Liberalists. Five months later, France, England 
and Spain entered into a compact to jointly invade Mexico, 
overthrow her Constitutional Government, and establish a 
Rome-picked monarchy maintained by military power. 

War was declared on Mexico because she could not do 
the impossible (pay unjust claims at once). These three 
intervening nations landed soldiers on Mexican soil. Spain 
and England soon withdrew. France, with the assistance 
of the Clerical element and the unemployed Mihtary of 
Mexico, drove Juarez and his Liberal following north. On 
the 1 2th of December, 1 864, Fernando Maximilian entered 
Mexico City as Emperor of Mexico, accompanied by his 
wife, the Empress. 

The Church was overjoyed with a Rome-picked monarch 
and a foreign army at her command. She fixed the 
Emperor's salary at $125,000 per month, and $15,000 a 
month for the Empress. At no time was all of Mexico 
under the control of Maximilian. Constant opposition waged 
against imperialism by the Liberalists made his maintenance 
expensive, and as the Church had first handling of all 
revenues there was little left for France, so France, already 
convincedTthe fighting qualities of the Mexicans, began to 
withdraw ner troops. 

Maximilian took the field with his troops, "for safety first,** 
and to encourage his men to slaughter more Liberalists. 

15 



The recapture of Chihuahua by the LiberaHsts was the 
turning point of this war. 

Maximilian took alarm at the turn of events, and issued 
a decree, ordering his troops to kill all non-imperialists, 
destroy their houses, animals and food. 

This cowardly brutal decree so enraged the Mexican 
people that they lost not another battle, or foot of ground. 
The French forces were out-generaled, and out-fought. 
Maximilian, seeing his cause was lost, secretly sent word to 
General Escobedo (the Liberalist General), offering to be- 
tray his French troops if he be spared. His offer was 
refused. He was captured and shot for his cruelty and 
treachery. 

(Gutierrez and Pinchon, History of Mexico, pages 233 
to 256.) 

(W. A. Dunning, Reconstruction.) 

(Zamacois, History de Mizicio, Vol. 15, Page 809.) 

Much has been written by conventional writers in defense 
of Maximilian. As I view him he was a princely born 
enemy of the useful people, the choice of plotting rulers, 
a puppet of the Pope, a mandatory murderer of women and 
children, and wound up his abortive imperialism by offering 
to betray those who had defended him. 



REESTABLISHMENT OF THE MEXICAN 
REPUBLIC 

The Mexican people had, by their own unassisted etfort, 
driven out the French army, disposed of the imported mon- 
arch, yea defeated clerical, crowns, and aristocracy, and 
maintained their traditional democracy. 

But their homes were burned, 

Their live stock slaughtered. 

Their provisions destroyed. 

Their fields grown to weed. 

Their industries ruined. 

Their treasury stolen, 

16 



In short, their country was devastated by three wars. 

The useful people went to work. The government alloted 
lands to farmers, commenced building a government, owned 
railroads, started industries, schools. All necessary public 
utilities were fostered by the government. Thus they pros- 
pered by co-operative work. 

It seemed peace had at last settled over this war-wrecked 
country. 

As the government had made each farmer a landholder 
(guaranteed them a home), their industry, coupled with gov- 
ernment assistance, soon brought prosperity and contentment 
throughout their country. 



THE DIAZ REVOLUTION— 1876 

The more the Mexican people prospered by co-operation 
and government ownership, the more aristocracy, military and 
clerical schemed for their undoing, so then, as now, this 
trinity leagued itself with the moneyed or ruling class of 
the United States. 

High finance of the United States see in Mexico a field 
for exploitation (cheap labor), which could be controlled 
by military, so our money power put its agents on the border 
to take care of their interests. Capital knew it could depend 
on clerical, military and press, but as foreign armies in 
Mexico had proved expensive luxury, so capital of the 
United States decided to let the Mexican government run 
the Military part as long as the Mexican people paid the 
costs and the government was run to suit high finance (in- 
visible government or the Big Business interests of the 
United States). 

iFor convenience we will call this High Finance and so on 
Big Business, BB. 

That American interest should make capital out of cheap 
labor in Mexico, or anywhere else, it was, and is, necessary 
for the governing class (BB) to derive its power from the 
soldier. This is commonly called strong, staple government, 

17 



so an army sufficient to coerce the people (commonly called 
preparedness) was necessary for this strong, staple govern- 
ment. 

With a strong commission, or a strong man to operate this 
strong staple government and preparedness army, as directed 
by Big Business, so a man with the necessary qualifications 
must be chosen by Big Business. 

Among other Mexican Bandits (Military Men out of a 
job) was one Porfirio Diaz. He was a chronic rebel against 
civil government. 

An incendiary in 1 871 . 

A cattle thief in 1 874. 

A tireless foe of government-owned railroads in 1 875. 



THE DIAZ REVOLUTION OF 1875-6 

He had been ordered to leave the country for plotting 
against Juarez (the Lincoln of Mexico) (Baerlein, page 67). 

Diaz was a Jesse James, less brave, rather a Villa. His 
outlaw record had forced him to take refuge in the moun- 
tains of Tepee among other outlaws. 

This Diaz came across the Rio Grande to Brownsville, 
Texas, and plotted with American Big Business agents, for 
three months, sending word back to his associated (Military 
men out of work). Thus encouraged they started a revolu- 
tion. 

Diaz was chosen by American Big Business agent to 
rule Mexico. This choice was endorsed in Mexico by the 
Clerical Party, Aristocracy, Military Men out of work, and 
all who were opposed to the people's government. 

Diaz crossed the river into Mexican territory to confer 
with his confederates. But for "Safety First" he ran away 
again to New Orleans, La., where he held another confer- 
ence with these same American Big Business agents. 

He then returned to Tampico by steamer, was there recog- 
nized by Constitutionalists. He ran back to the steamer. 
The steamer captain hoisted the American flag over him, 

18 



backed out and landed Diaz at Vera Cruz under the pro- 
tection of the American flag, Diaz's element being mobilized 
there. He took charge of the revolution, styled himself Gen- 
eral Porfirio Diaz. A causeless and merciless guerrilla war 
v/as waged against the Constitutionalist Government by all 
the bad element of Mexico, backed by all the good money 
necessary. 

Cruel murdering of the people without respect to age 
or sex caused the leading Constitutionahsts to surrender to 
save families. Thus by the intrigues of Rome and Aristoc- 
racy, the use of American money and Mexical Military, the 
people's government of Mexico was again destroyed and 
Diaz made Dictator, as directed by American Big Business 
in 1876. Two months later Diaz held a military election, 
and declared himself elected President. The United States 
recognized him at once. 



THE DIAZ REGIME, 1876-1910 

Porfirio Diaz was never elected by a vote of the people, 
yet he held the office of President of Mexico for thirty- 
four years. 

As governments derive their power either from the people 
or from the soldier, Diaz's rating was A1, as he had con- 
trol not only of the Mexican army, but the American army 
was always his reserve in case of need. Therefore, it need 
not be surprising that he at once destroyed the people's demo- 
cratic government which the people had fought for for 
seventy-odd years, under the leadership of such world-famed 
and world-loved heroes as Hedalgo, Morelos, Guerro, 
Alvarez, Teresade Micr (Bishop of Baltimore), Moreno, 
Romero, Tefado, Juarez and others. These men's names 
are historically known and respected among the builders of 
the foundation of democracy on this continent, yet their 
noble works and the achievements of their democratic loving 
people were set aside in a day by the Diaz ring, whose 
hunch was the American Soldier and Flag will follow the 
American Dollar. 

19 



The Diaz reign was a good illustration of preparedness 
(staple government) "Safety First" (Advanced Civiliza- 
tion). 

Diaz enlarged the army. 

Established the Rurales (State and National Constabu- 
lary). 

Appointed Military Men to all offices where possible. 

Disenfranchised most of the useful people. 

Enforced strict censorship on the Press. 

Discontinued the Juarez Schools. 

Inaugurated Military training in their stead. 

Sold the government-owned railroads and other industries 
to private companies. Thus he established a strong staple 
government with plenty of preparedness. He then handed 
out concessions and franchises for railroads, mining zones, 
water power, in fact, about all the natural resources of 
the country were disposed of to Big Business concerns. These 
concessions and franchises were usually accompanied with 
cash subsidiaries, which, of course, became a debt for the 
useful people to pay. 

During the Constitutionahst period the government had 
put a million families on government land, rent free as long 
as these farmers made the land productive. 

Diaz sold millions of acres of this government land to 
favored ones at two and three cents per acre. As foreign 
big business wanted cheap labor, Diaz notified these small 
farmers to vacate their lands at once. Where they did not 
vacate at once, Diaz sent soldiers and rurales, and drove 
them from the land. Where any resistence was shown the 
farmers and their families were butchered on the spot. Two 
thousand were thus butchered at Papantly Valley, State of 
Vera Cruz. Fourteen hundred were massacred at Tomo- 
chic. Fiften hundred murdered at Juchitan, and so on until 
the last small farmer and family were evicted or exterminated. 

Revolution seemed certain. United States Secretary 
Foster, under President Hayes, ordered American troops 

20 



to the border. Another massacre and the rumbHng of revo- 
lution occurred o'er Mexico. President Hayes, of these 
United States, ordered General Ord to cross the hne into 
Mexico. The Mexican people, remembering the atrocities 
of the American soldiers of 1846-7-8, bowed in submission 
to their Mexican tyrant. 

With the surviving farmers made landless, the people's 
industries destroyed, press under censorship, the natural re- 
sources of the country in the hands of foreign syndicates, 
landed aristocracy re-established, schools teaching patriotism 
and militarism, the useful class disenfranchised, homeless, 
jobless, destitute and helpless, with Military sufficient to en- 
force the will of the ruling class. These conditions mean 
cheap labor. 

You are told that Mexico became a rich country under 
Diaz rule. 

As the cost of labor is the only cost of anything, you 
naturally have a rich country for the ruling or useless class 
where there is cheap labor, hence you are told Mexico is a 
rich country. I know the geography, topography, soil, 
climate, and natural resources of Mexico as well perhaps 
as any living American, and I tell you it is naturally a 
poor country. 

In slavery days the slave part of the United States was 
called a rich country; to-day, with the same soil and natural 
resources, without slave labor, it is called, and rightly called 
a poor country. 

As the growing of Hennequin (hemp) on a large scale 
in Yucatan, also the growing of tobacco in Southern Mexico, 
was profitable with cheap labor, yet it would be more profit- 
able and inviting to capital with cheaper labor, so slavery 
on the quiet was practiced until foreign capital became in- 
terested, which insured foreign "pi^otection." If need be, 
then slavery of the most cruel, most demoralizing, and 
most profitable ever on this continent was maintained under 
Diaz for years. (As the less a hired man, horse, or slave 
costs, the more he is abused and worked.) 

21 



So as the native slaves cost but little they werfe worked 
and punished in a manner so brutally cruel that its descrip- 
tion would make Satan appear like a saint compared to Diaz. 
(American investments in Southern Mexico paid handsome 
dividends.) 

The wage slaves of Middle Mexico were shot in groups 
when they struck for better industrial conditions. Poor men, 
natives and Americans, were thrown into Bellem and other 
prisons, and kept there until they died, without even the 
pretext of a trial. Yea, hundreds of poor Americans were 
shot or imprisoned under Diaz rule. Censorship took care 
of the reports. 

The writer has seen old women fall on their knees and 
pray God to save them from their government when rurales 
rode into camps. No ruler in modern times has been as 
tyrannical and cruel on the useful people as Diaz. No ruler 
has had the preparedness of two nations with which to rule 
the helpless people of one little nation, as Diaz had. 

Should the reader care to look up more complete descrip- 
tions of conditions herein mentioned, see: 

Gutierrez and Pinchon, History of Mexico. 
Bancroft's History of Mexico in one volume. 
Barbarous Mexico, by J. K. Turner. 
Noll's History of Mexico (Baerllin on Mexico). 
Carlo de Fomaro. 

In a larger sense it must not be understood that Diaz was 
wholly personally to blame for his musrule. Diaz was but 
a tool used by the ruling class to control natural resources 
and labor. 

Also the military downfall of Diaz, or the political down- 
fall of the Church in Mexico are but the results of preceding 
conditions. Every governor, organization, or body politic 
or religious, which has gained the power to exploit and 
tyrannize, has done so, and then destroyed itself. Our own 
ruling class to-day, not satisfied with the power to exploit, 
are now organizing for military despotism, which means their 

22 



own downfall and the reconstruction of our government, 
and so on and on, until the human race reach a condition 
wherein concentration of power is impossible. 



THE REVOLUTION OF 1910 

The Mexican people, while apparently subdued, were 
anxious to again fight for their freedom and the Constitu- 
tion of 1 85 7. They were not afraid to attack their Mex- 
ican oppressors, yet they were fearful of United States 
Military intervention. Their Liberal paper moved to St. 
Louis, Mo. Many Liberals came to the United States of 
America, and espoused the cause of their people. Diaz did 
all in his power to get these advocates of liberty where he 
could shoot them. 

Roosevelt, then President, used the secret agencies of the 
United States to put these liberalists across the border for 
Diaz. They were arrested and tried repeatedly at United 
States expense, and as often dismissed for lack of evidence. 

Finally the people of the western part of the United States 
held mass meetings protesting against the persecution of these 
Liberalists. These mass meetings and other expressions of 
the useful people of the United States convinced the Mexican 
people that the American people would not stand for United 
States Military intervention in Mexico. 

Francisco Madero, a Jewish Mexican of the wealthy 
class, a political aspirant, drew up a manifesto calling upon 
the people to strike for Free Ballot, Single Term, and restora- 
tion of the land to the common people. 

The revolution started in Chihuahua. Peons flocked to 
centres of revolt though they were jjoorly armed and un- 
drilled. They out-generaled and out-fought the government 
troops in nearly every engagement. 

It appearing that the Constitutionalists would win, and 
as the American press had not then had time to fool the 
American people into intervention, the ruling class of the 

23 



United States saw no reason wRy they could not use Madero 
as well as Diaz, and as Diaz had been "milked dry," the 
invisible government of the United States withheld from 
Diaz the usual support, so when the useful class captured 
the town of Juarez, twelve hundred miles from Mexico City, 
Diaz ran away while running was good. Diaz went to 
Europe and sent word back that if Mexico ever needed 
him he would return. We must give Diaz credit for doing 
one good thing for humanity, he died. 

The Scientificos (ring around the ruler) also thought that 
by endorsing Madero they could fool the people cheaper 
than they could whip them. They also surmised that the 
Americans would not endorse the butchering off of Mexican 
people for the benefit of American capitalists, who own 
large holdings in Mexico, and as it required a few years at 
least for the Press, Priest and Politician to work on the 
American people before they will go to war and kill others, 
and be killed, without cause. 

So the hope of longer maintaining the Diaz ring was 
abandoned for the plan of endorsing and using the man of 
the people's choice. But they were mistaken. This revolu- 
tion was not a row among factions, not a military uprising, 
not a political strife for a pork barrel ! neither was it a comic 
opera revolution, nor a military fluration. Even the Priest 
got notice, "Hands off." 

TTiis revolution was a united people embittered by cen- 
turies of oppression, alert to the schemes of priestcraft, wise 
to the offered assistance of aristocracy, and heedless to the 
falsehood of the press. 

This people were fighting to make their constitution of 
1857 a reality, and to obtain the land to end exploitation, 
and install democracy. The people elected Madero president. 
He proved to be weak and oscillating. The people waited 
patiently while reformers warred among themselves. Madero 
made no effort to fulfill his promises with the people. The 
people abandoned him, as he could not control the people; 
the Church could not use him. 

24 



So Huerta, Felix Diaz, and other aspirants and Americans 
thought by getting rid of Medaro, and instaUing some man 
that stood well with the Church, they could pull off the 
old stunt of fighting one-half the people against the other 
half. Madero was murdered. Huerta proclaimed Presi- 
dent. He was endorsed by the Church, but the work was 
so bungling that even the United States dared not endorse 
Huerta. The people, fearful of trickery, as of old, rallied 
again, and chose Carranza as their leader. 

Those of the revolutionists who had only been in the war 
for graft, fell out with Carranza under one pretext or another. 
Some turned Bandits (Military officers out of a job). Many 
of the wealthier class hied themselves away to healthier 
places, where they could continue to plot against the democ- 
racy they were too cowardly to face in the open. Even 
Huerta (the choice of the church, and the ideal of many 
misguided, or money-guided Americans) came to Texas, 
where, under the pretext of arrest he was guarded until he 
was beyond the reach of those he had persecuted. 

The aristocracy of Mexico, the Clerical Party, the foreign 
owners of large holdings in Mexico, constitute the element 
which are employing press, • priest, politician, and Mexican 
outlaws to keep up trouble in Mexico until the Americans 
can be blindfolded into going into Mexico and killing off 
the democracy loving people of that country, and restoring the 
country again to the exploiting class. Such is the situation 
to-day, and has been since the Mexican people established 
their present democracy. 

When we remember that the invisible government of the 
United States by the employment of same agencies as are 
now being used, destroyed Mexico's democracy and placed 
Diaz, the Bandit, as Dictator of Mexico in 1876; when we 
also remember that when Diaz was massacring the Mexican 
people by the thousands, evicting them from their lands, and 
giving the people's lands to chosen capitalists at a few cents 
an acre, shooting down strikers by the hundreds to increase 
foreign profits on cheap Mexican labor when Diaz was 

25 



secretly and publicly shooting his people for expressing Lib- 
eral sentiments; also when poor Americans were shot or im- 
prisoned unto death without the pretext of trial, that the 
American Press, Priest and Politician made no mention of 
these atrocities. (American interests in Mexico were then 
paying handsomely.) 

To all these facts the authentic American historian amply 
testifies. The Mexican people, unassisted, and opposed by 
capital, crown, politician and priest, destroyed this exploita- 
tion and military despotism, without violating any just law 
of neutrality with other nations. 

In time of this war they prepared for peace. When the 
Constitutionalists had won a battle or gained a district their 
civil government was then and there established. Thus, 
when the smoke of war cleared away there stood their 
democratic government, born of the needs of the people, 
bequeathed to the living by the dead that lay about them. 



MEXICO TO-DAY 

We read much about the Poverty of Present Mexico. 

Friends, I would call your attention to the fact that this 
country has been robbed and exploited mostly by foreign 
avarice and Church for about 387 years, and now they 
are just getting over a war. 

While in this great, glorious, free, smart, civilized, up-to- 
date United States we have not had any war, except of our 
own making, practically for fifty years, and yet there is more 
want and destitution in Greater New York City than in all 
Mexico. 

Much is said by our own Press about the confiscation of 
Church property lands, and so forth, in Mexico, and the 
harsh treatment of Clericals. 

To the former charge I would refer the reader to Article 
27 of their Constitution of 1857; also see laws passed in 

26 



1859, prohibiting Church from owning lands, and so forth, 
in Mexico. 

As to the harsh treatment of Clericals and their women 
folks, I know of no such doings except by Zapata (and he 
does not belong to, or endorse the Constitutionalist govern- 
ment). In this connection, I would say it is simply divine 
of the Mexican people to not retaliate on their priestcraft 
for the suffering caused by the Priestly inquisition practised 
for 290 years in Mexico. 

Much is being said by our daily press about the outlaws 
of Mexico, especially Villa, the hero of the American Press. 

That Villa is, and always was, a murderer, a thief, and 
robber, and that he sold stolen property to American specu- 
lators, and that he has pulled off more impossible stunts 
(in our papers) than any one, we doubt not. 

That Villa myth has already cost the useful people of 
the United States over fifty million dollars; that he was not 
captured by thirty thousand, or more, American troops in a 
year's time — much of this time he was fighting battles between 
the American soldiers and the American line, according to 
American papers, and that the Constitutional government of 
Mexico has not captured or suppressed him in two years time. 
All this is newspaper news, and probably as true as the 
average statements of our press, yet we must remember that 
we had many outlaws as the byproducts of our war of the 
sixties; among others was the James gang. Their leader, 
Jesse James, went into Mexico on one of his raids and killed 
Mexican people. This man James was never captured 
by our government. Some fourteen years after the war 
one of his pals killed him; and at that the Mexican gov- 
ernment have yet ten years in which to capture Villa to be 
as prompt at suppressing outlaws as the United States has 
been. 

Much has been said by our press about American life 
not being safe in Mexico under the present Constitutionalist 
government. 

27 



In reference to this newspaper acquisition, to say nothing 
of the Americans killed and imprisoned under Diaz, or the 
hundreds of useful, unarmed, American citizens who have 
been shot down or imprisoned by the Military of this country 
since the establishment of the present Constitutional govern- 
ment of Mexico. 

We will make a brief review of the safety of American 
life in this country for the last two years by way of com- 
parison with the civilization of Mexico of the same period. 

During 1915 there were lynched or murdered by the 
community fifty-four colored and thirteen white American 
citizens, three of whom were women. 

During the year 1916 there were lynched fifty colored 
and four whites; two of these were women, one of them 
pregnant, all American citizens, and all lynched on Amer- 
ican soil. 

Dear reader, to show you the superiority of the civilization 
in the United States, I will give you a brief description of 
one of these American lynchings : 

On May 3, 1916, Jesse Washington, a boy of seventeen, 
of deficient mentality, was charged with raping and murder- 
ing the wife of his employer. On May 15, 1916, he was 
tried in Waco, Texas, and condemned to hang that same 
afternoon. Within the presence of Sheriff Fleming and with- 
out protest from Judge Monroe, the mob took the prisoner 
from the court-room to the square. Thousands of Amer- 
icans shouted their approval, while those near enough unsexed 
him; cut off his fingers, nose and ears, and burned him 
alive, after which the charred remains were dragged through 
the streets by hundreds of Americans. 

Lynchings have occurred in fourteen states of the United 
States in the last two years. Two thousand eight hundred 
and fifty people have been done to death in the United States 
since 1 885 by mobs. 

(For above data we are grateful to "The Crisis.") 

Add to this the regular stock murders which were homi- 

28 



cides during the year 1915 — 7,500, and you see the safety 
of Hfe in the United States. 

We are told by the press that the Mexican people are not 
educated enough to be capable of self-government. Reader, 
look back to the beginning of Man's Record, you will see 
that no nation ever perished for lack of education, but that 
every nation that has been wrecked, its ruin has been brought 
on by the intrigue and misrule of its own educated ruling 
class, or the misrule of the educated ruling class of some 
other country. A view of the world to-day is proof enough 
of the foregoing statements. Alas, it is a sad, but true, 
commentary on college and library, that the powerful nations 
that have perished and passed on into oblivion have come to 
their ruin when they had gained their highest attainment 
in literature, art and science, and when the necessaries of 
life had been concentrated into the hands of the better class, 
by the manipulations of the educated class, employed by the 
ruling class. When, or where did the toilers, useful class, 
ever wreck a nation without the guidance of the useless class? 

When or where was there any legislation for the toilers' 
made, enacted or enforced by the useless class (without a 
joker in it) ! When or where was real democracy ever 
established except by the toilers opposing the better class, 
the ruling class, the educated class. 

Useful education is doubtless beneficial. The Mexican 
government, through its agencies, is teaching useful educa- 
tion as never before since 1521. For us Americans to criti- 
cize the Mexican people for their present form of government 
is a joke. 

With our Government teaching tyranny. 

Our Courts teaching injustice. 

Our Army teaching murder. 

Our Society teaching exploitation. 

Our Schools teaching history without truth, and 

Militarism and Patriotism without home. 

With grafter and prostitute in silks, luxury and wealth. 

With labor and virtue in rags, misery, and poverty. 

•29 



With farmer on rented land. Laborers in tenement 
shacks. Thousands of our people crying for food, rail- 
roads, ships, and freight-houses gorged with food arid 
clothing for Europe. 

With our legislation and the necessities of our life in the 
hands of four per cent, of our population. Aye, with the 
price of the necessities of life beyond the earning capacity 
of the masses. 

While Mexico has allotted government land to those who 
wish to farm (insured the people's homes) ; their government 
is providing profitable employment for her workers, and is 
putting the necessities of life to her people at cost of produc- 
ing and transferring the same. And we Americans say the 
Mexicans are ignorant. If they had our daily press for a 
few years they would, I suppose, be like us, divided and 
exploited. 

When we realize that the Mexican people were thirty- 
seven years establishing their Constitution of 1857, and that 
for the last sixty years they have endured suffering beyond 
description, that their survivors and posterity might have a 
just democratic government dedicated to the proposition that 
all men are equal. 

Knowing as I do the abuse and exploitation of these 
people, made possible and profitable by foreign avarice, the 
devotion, heroism, yea, martyrdom of these people to the 
cause of liberty and justice, what they have accomplished in 
their late revolution, and what they have done since the 
people have gained control of their government, by inaugurat- 
ing sane, just arrangement of industry and society, in all 
matters for which governments are, or ought to be organized, 
for by their unwavering devotion to justice they have estab- 
lished, and are working out a democracy which is yet only 
the dream of the toiling masses of the rest of the world, and 
they have done this without violating a single just law of 
neutrality with any nation. 

If the American people are either fooled or forced into 
war with Mexico under existing circumstances, they should 

30 



know they are being used to destroy the noblest work of man. 
Yea, the soldier who crosses the line and fires on those 
people, should know he is destroying a democracy he is not 
man enough to establish and maintain in his own country. 

The better class should know from past experience that 
the prearranged slaughtering of millions in Europe, the mis- 
information, confiscation, degradation, starvation, and mili- 
tary preparedness in this country, will not prolong the world's 
system of exploitation, but will hasten its own destruction. 




31 



ABBREVIATIONS AND EXPLANATIONS 

H. = D. R. Holden. 

B. M. = Barbarous Mexico, by J. K. Turner. 

B. C. = Bancroft's History of Mexico. 

P. P. P. S. = Press, Politician, Priest and Soldier. 

Noll = Noll's History of Mexico. 

G. and P. ::= Gutierrez and Pinchon, History of Mexico. 

Cuartelazo = Military Mutiny against the Government. 

Clerical Party = Roman Catholic Hierarchy. 

Peon = Farm Laborer (Serf, Laborer) 

Anhuac = Ancient name of Valley of Mexico, Mexico 
City. 

(These authorities are quoted as they are obtainable, and 
verify the writer's experience in Mexico.) 



Single Copy_^ Postpaid 25 Cents 

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Address all communications to 

D. R. HOLDEN 

c/o Co-Operative Press 

15 Spruce St., New York City. N.Y. 



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